Automatic rifle



April 14, 1925. w 1,533,966

J. M. BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE Filed Dec. 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 U m 4 n. r

HLIIIIII.

Inventor April 14, 1.925.

J. M. BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1922 Patented Apr. 14, 1925., I

some m i'mownme, or 'oennn, UTAH.

AUTOMATIC RIFLE.

"-" ful Improvements in Automatic Rifles, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings', forming a part hereof.

The invention relates to improvements-in automatic rifles, such as are shown and described in the Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,293,022, granted to me on February 4:, 1919.

The invention generally relates to automatic rifles in which all operations of the breech mechanism, except that of the trigger, are automatically effected, and in which the form and weight of the rifle adapt it for firing modern highly-char ed military ammunition, the shooter eit er lying prone upon the ground, or standing erect with only his hands and shoulder supporting the rifle.

The invention relates'specially to novel improvements in that class of as-operated magazine rifles in which a vent 1n the barrel leads into a gas cylinder mounted below and alongside the barrel, in which cylinder the powder gases may e and. I

The forward end 0 said gas cylinder is closed; the rear end of the same has the form of a stron integral block from the under side of wlnch aiflat'guide-bar extends casing where it is .detachably secured by. a jtransverse'locking pin; to said bar a Wooden handle for s u porting-the rifle isfirm ly at-- tached, itssi es extending upward t6 ;;0ver

the sides 0f the j gas cylinder andofftlie' "40 barrell giniworder positively protect the 5 and bears at 1ts end a cross-head to which into'the lower forward portion of the breech novel constructions.

Application filed December 6, 1922. Serial No, 605,229.

the action-slide is firmly attached; some distance in rear the action-slide enters the frame of the rifle and is bifurcated for the passage through it of the cartridge magazine located in the usual magazine seat in the rifle. The

mo-vements of the action-slide are transmitted to the breech mechanism of the rifle, thereby actuating said mechanism.

In the butt-stock of the rifle a strong helical reaction-spring is contained in a suiton ably mounted tube, the rear end of said spring resting against a plug screwed into said tube, the forward end of the spring being attached to a shouldered piston fitted to slide lengthwise in said tube but pre: 05 vented from escaping therefrom; in its forward surface said piston has a central cupshape d depression and a rod loosely resting in said depression extends forward therefrom into a similar depression in the rear end of the action-slide, both ends of said rod being kept in their respective positions by the pressure ofsaid reaction-spring. A second tube considerably larger in diameter surrounds the reaction-spring tube and contains a suitable annular elastic packing, which, byco-operating with the reaction- 4 spring, will cushion and absorb an excess of energy of recoil of the acti'on-sli e when thrown rearward by the' pressure of the powder gases in the gas cylinder.

The main object o. the present invention is, to provide an automatic rifle with a novel and improved magazine-latch -mechanism,. which, while simple and reliable in eonstruction and operation, is sufliclently strong and durable to withstand the exposure and abuse which it is liable to meetjn the trenches and the field of modern warfare This object is attained by providing the following In the accompanying drawings:

Fig.1 is a front view of the frame or; breech casing of an automatic rifle, with the barrel and forward end of the action-slide and rear end of the guide-bar in cross section. I

Fig. 2. is a central vertical section through the frame of an automatic rifle which contains an embodimentof the present invention; the frame of the rifle, the barrel, the trigger-plate and the forward and rear crossbars of the action-slide being shown in section, as is also the hammer forming part of said action-slide.

Fig. 3. shows a top view of the triggerplate, detached, on a greatly enlarged scale compared with Figs. 1 and 2, and of sub-- stantially actual size, which, being of a width to fit between the side walls of the frame of the rifle, closes the same at the bottom, and contains the greater part of the members of the magazine-latch mechanism. This figure also shows a top view of the magazine in its position in front of the trigger-plate.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of certain portions of the rifle frame, on the same scale as Fig. 3, and of the triggerplate, the members of the magazine-latch mechanism being shown in their proper positions in said trigger-plate; in front of the trigger-plate the cartridge magazine is represented in its proper operatlve position;

its lowest portion is broken away.

Fig. 5 is a side view of certain members of the magazine-latch mechanism, detached, on the same scale as Fig. 4, but showing only the rear portion of the magazine and the forward portion ofsaid latch mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a top view of certain members of the magazine-latch mechanism, detached, on the same scale as Fig. 4.

' Fig. 7 shows a side View of the magazinelatch mechanism, detached, in its relation to the action-slide, on the same scale as Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the cartridge magazine, theuppen portion of which is shown in section to expose to view the magazinefollower with one cartridge thereon, and the follower-actuating inward indentation of the front wall of the magazine causing the narrow rearmost portion of said follower to project beyond said magazine.

Fig. 9 shows a top view of the sear, trigger and trigger-pawl, detached.

Flg. 10 shows the trigger-plate with the trigger, trigger-pawl, sear, latch-spring, shell-ejector and shell-ejector plate, and shell-ejector plate locking plunger located therein; a portion of the trigger-plate is broken away.

Fig. 11 is a .front view of the triggerplate, with the shell-ejector and shellejec or plate removably attached thereto and locked in place by the shell-ejector plate locking plunger; a portion of said plate between its upper and lower parts is broken awa Fig. 12 is a rear view of the cartridgemagazine with one cartridge upon the follower; the lowest portion is broken away.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, t he frame or receiver 1 of the rifle carries, as usual, the

barrel 2, and, in rear thereof, the breech closing part in the form of the reciprocating breech block 14 and pivotally attached thereto a locking brace 15, the frame having a corresponding locking abutment to co-operate with said brace. The breech block contains a firing pin, and the locking brace is connected to the action-slide 1201: the rifle rearwardly upon a gas piston, to the pistol-1..

rod of which the forward end of the actionslide is secured. The return movement of the action-slide in forward direction results from the expansion of a reaction-spring 21 located in rear of said action-slide, said spring having been compressed during the rearward movement of the same and reacting through the rod 20 upon the actionsli e.

Below the action-slide are mounted most of the members of the magazine-latch mechanism in the trigger-plate .3, which closes the bottom of the frame of the rifle. In front of said trigger-plate the magazine 17 is, as usual, removably secured in its vertical seat in the frame, and contains a number of cartridges in two columns and in staggered relation in the way well known and embodied in my prior patent, hereinbefore cited. These cartridges are fed upward, as usual, by the magazine-follower 18 and the follower-spring 19.

During the automatic operation of the rifle while the trigger 5 is kept pulled back and the sear 6 is in its inoperative position, it is necessary for continuous firing that, as soon as the last cartridge has been removed from the magazine and fired, the magazine be automatically released and ejected from its seat, to make room for the insertion of another magazine containing cartridges, with the least possible delay.

The releasing of the magazine is performed by moving forward the upper arm of the two-armed magazine-latch lever, which is fitted on a. transverse pivot pin 8 located a slight distance in rear of the forward face of the trigger-plate 3, and thereby moving rearward the lower'arm 8 which is yieldingly pressed forward by the latch spring 8 seated in the trigger-plate 3, as shown in Figs. 2, 4,5, 7 and 10, and the end of the lower arm 8 of said latch lever is provided with a finger piece and with an integral hook-shaped forward projection adapt ed to engage under the locking shoulder 17 in the rib 17 projecting from the rear face of the magazine 17; in Fig. 4 the latch lever is shown in the operative position in which the projection on its lower arm 8 locks the magazine, as hereinbefore stated; but in Fig. 7 the latch lever is shown as having released the magazine, the lower arm 8 being swung to the rear so as to withdraw the hooksha-ped forward projection from the locking shoulder 17 of the magazine, because the upper arm 8 of the latch lever is shown as pressed forward by the front end of the auxiliary sear 7, which has, for this purpose, on the right-hand side of its forward end a Y laterally extending project-ion 7.

The auxiliary sea-r 7 is adapted for lengthwise movement by having an elongated pivot-hole for the fixed pivot pin 7. While cartridges remain in the magazine during the automatic firing, the auxiliary sear 7 is kept in its rearward position, in which its rear end extends some distance under the ac- 17, (see Figs. 3, 4t, 8 and 12), in the forward wall of the magazine and cammed rearward so as to cause the rearward projection 18 of the follower 18 to protrude through a central slot in the upper part of the rear wall of the magazine.

As soon as the last cartridge has been transferred from the magazine 17 to the bar,

rel and fired, the follower 18, under the ac tion of the spring 19, continues torise-and in nearing its uppermost position causes its rearward projection 18 to engage a lateral shoulder on the upper end of a sliding connector 10, thereby forcing said connector upward; by this upward movement of the connector 10 a rearward shoulder at the lower end of the same engages the forward end of arr actuating lever 9. Said lever 9 is pivotally mounted upon the pivot pin 9 fixed in the trigger-plate and has a rear arm which carries a lateral projection'on its lefthand side, this projection entering into a corresponding lengthwise recess in the righthand side of the forward arm of the auxiliary sear, and therefore, when the forward arm of said actuating lever rises its rear arm descends and positively depresses the for ward arm of the auxiliary sear 7, and thereby raises the rear arm of said auxiliary sear 7 before the forward movement or counterrecoil of the action Slide 12 can carry the place.

same over said rear end of the auxiliary sear; the said rear end of the auxiliary sear 7 being thus carried into'the path of the action-slide 12, the said auxiliary sear is forced forward by said slide 12 to operate the magazine-latch, and thereafter positively prevents further forward .movement of said action-slide 12, until said rear end of the ingly holding it in its forward position, see

Figs. 2, 3 and 4:. Fig. 11 shows a front View of the trigger-plate 3, and mounted in a T- shaped recess therein, the shell-ejector plate 22 which is removably locked therein by a spring-actuated plunger 3*, and is provided at its upper end with the shell-ejector 22, as is also clearly shown in Fig. 10; this figure also shows mounted on said plate 22 the vertically sliding connector. 10 with the lateral and rearward shoulders thereon; it also shows the forward end of the plunger 7*, carried in the'auxiliary sear, projecting into a vertical slot in the said ejector-plate. When the auxiliary sear 7 is in its operative position and the magazine has been automatically released and ejected, the plunger 7 projects some distance forward of the front face of the plate 22 in such a manner that, when another filled magazine is being inserted and has nearly reached its uppermost position, a square lug 17 on the rear face of themagazine at the left-hand side of the central rib 17 which lug is shown in a rear View in Fig. 12 and in a vertical section in Fig. 8, engages the projecting end of said plunger 7', raises the forward arm of the auxiliary sear 7 depresses the rear arm of the same and releases the action-slide 12,

and thus continues the automatic firing with the renewed supply of cartridges. If, however, the trigger 5 has been released and has returned forward, it has allowed the rear arm of the sear 6 to be raised by the sear spring 6*, and, by this action the sear point has entered the sear recess and engaged the cocking shoulder in the action-slide 12, and holding the same, will prevent continuation of the firing though theauxiliarv sear 7 has released said action-slide.

As soon as the rear end of the auxiliary sear 7 is depressed, said auxiliary sear is again returned to its rearmost position in which its rear end lies under the actionslide 12, and in which the plunger 7 b is removed out of the path 'of the lug 17 on the magazine, under the action of the latch spring 8 and the cooperation of the upper arm 8 of the latch-lever, the'la'tch 8 being simultaneously returned to its operative position in which its looks the magazine in combined trigger and actuatlng lever spring,

' Another important improvement embodied in the mechanism hereinbefore do scribed is that, though constructed to automatically release and eject the magazine when emptied for being'replaced, it does not prevent the manual releasing and withdrawal of the magaiue when desired,1either empty or containing a number of cartridges.

. Nor does it prevent, after such manual release and withdrawal, the manual rc-introduction of another magazine and the usual spring-actuated locking of the same in place.

In Fig. 5 a magazine, containing several cartridges is shown partly in the magazine seat but not locked in lace.

It will be obvious t at this Fig. 5 illustratesthe magazine either in the act of being introduced to or in the act of being withdrawn from the magazine seat.

I claim: p

1. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame having a magazine-recciw ing seat therein, a cartridge magazine insertable in said seat and having a sprin actuated follower, a latch for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, an action-slide mounted for longitudinal reciprocatory movement in said frame, and means movable into the path of said actionslide by said follower after said magazine has become empty, said means having an operative connectlon with said latch and being movable, when engaged by said actionslide on the counter-recoil of the same after the firing of the last cartridge taken from said ma azine, for operating said latch to release t e magazine.

2. In an automatic firearm, the combina-- tion of a-frame, a cartridge magazine, a latch for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, means for automatically moving said latch to release the magazine when it has become empty, said means comprising a magazine follower, an action-slide, and a member having an operative connection with both said follower and said action-slide, the connect-ion with said follower comprising a slidable connector and an actuating lever .co-operating with said member and with said connector.

3. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame, a cartridge magazine having a vertical slot in its rear-Wall, a latch for releasably locking said magazine in said.

frame, and means for automatically moving said latch to release sald magazine when it has become empty, said meanscomprismg a vertically slidable connector having a shoulder thereon, a magazine follower having a rearward projection, and a cam-sur face on the forward wall of said magazine, whereby the follower, in nearing its uppermost position, is moved r'earward causing said rearward projection to engage under said shoulder, thereby moving said connector upward.

4. In an automatic firearm, the combination .of a frame, a cartridge magazine, a latch for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, an action-slide mounted for lon itudinal reciprocatory movement in sairI frame, and a member constructed and arranged to be automatically moved into the path of said action-slide on its counterrecoil after the last cartridge has been removed from said magazine and fired, said member, after such movement, being actuated by said action-slide to operate said latch to release said magazine, and thereafter preventing further counter-recoil of said action-slide until said member is again moved out of the path of said action-slide.

5. In an automatic firearm, the combinationof a frame a cartridge magazine, a latch for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, an action-sllde mounted for longitudinal reciprocatory movement in said frame, and a two-armed lever having a len thwise as well as a swinging movement, an being) normally held in an inoperative position, ut arranged to have its rear arm automaticall 'swung into the path of said action-slide, efore the counter-recoil of said slide, after the last cartridge taken from the-magazine has been fired, carries it over said rear arm, said lever, after such swinging movement, being actuated lengthwise by said action-slide to operate said latch to release said magazine, and thereafter preventin further counter-recoil of said action-slide until said lever-arm is again swung out of the path of said action-slide.

6. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame, a" cartridge magazine having a spring-actuated follower movable therein,

a latch for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, an action-slide mounted for longitudinal reciprocatory movement in said frame, a reaction-spring for moving said action-slide forward, a two-armed lever pivoted on a transverse short lengthwise movement on said pin, means for yieldingly holding said lever rear: ward with the reararm lowered to permit free movement of said action-slide while there are cartridges in said magazine, anda connection between the forward arm of said lever and said follower whereby, after the last cartridge has been removed from said magazine, the figrtlier rise of the follower causes the rear rm of said lever tomove into the path of said action-slide, before the pin and having a forward movement of said slide, after the firing of said last cartridge, can carry said,

action-slideover the rear arm of said lever, said lever, after such movement, being actuated lengthwise under the action of said action-slide and its reaction spring to operate said latch to release said magazine, and thereafter preventing further forward movement of said action-slide until said lever arm is again moved out of the path of said action-slide.

7. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame having a magazinea'eceiving seat therein, a cartridge magazine insertable in said seat, a spring-actuated latch for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, means for automatically moving said latch to, and retaining it in, its magazinereleasing position to permit the ejection of said magazine after the same has become empty, means for automatically ejecting said magazine after the release of the same, said moving means comprising a member constructed and arranged to co-operate with adevice on a succeeding magazine, whereby said latch is automatically freed, to allow the same to return to its operative position, by the act of fully inserting said succeeding magazine into said ma-gazinerreceiving seat in the frame.

8. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame having a magazine-receiving seat therein, a cartridge magazine insertable into said seat, a latch for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, an action-slide mounted for longitudinal reciprocatory movement in said frame, a two-armed lever having a lengthwise as well as a swinging movement, and being normally held in an inoperative position, but arranged to have its rear arm automatically swung into the path of said action-slide before the counter recoil of said slide, after the last cartridge taken from the magazine has been fired, car-. ries said slide over said rear arm, said lever, after such swinging movement, being actuated lengthwise by said action-slide to operate said latch to, and retain the same in, its magazine-releasing position to permit the ejection of the empty magazine, and thereafter preventing further counter-recoil of said action-slide, and means for moving said lever to swing it out of the path of said ac tion-slide and thereby allow said latch to return to its operative position, said means comprising a spring-actuated plunger on the forward arm of said lever arranged to project into the path of a shoulder on a succeeding magazine when said magazine is manually inserted in the magazine-receiving seat in the frame. 7

9. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame having a magazine-receiving seat, a cartridge magazine normally positioned in said seat, means for releasably locking said magazine in said seat, and means comprising an action-slide and a stop therefor for automatically moving saidloc-king means to release said magazine after the same has become empty, and means operative after such, release for automatically ejecting said magazine.

10. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame, a cartridge magazine, means releasably locking said magazine in said frame, means for automatically moving said locking means to release the magazine after the same has become empty. said moving means comprising a magazine follower, an action-slide and a stop for said slide actuated by said follower, and means operative after such release for automatically ejecting said magazine.

11. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame, a cartridge magazine'having a spring-actuated follower, means for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, an action-slide mounted for longitudinal movement in said frame, and means for automatically moving said locking means to release the magazine comprising a stop movable by said follower into the path of the action-slide and by said slide to actuate the locking means.

12. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame, a cartridge magazine, means for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, an action-slide mounted for longitudinal reciprocating movement in said frame, a stop lever for said action-slide having lengthwise as well as swinging movement and being normally held in inoperative position; but arranged to have a shoulder thereon swung into the path of said actionslide after the last cartridge has been taken from the magazine and fired, said lever after such swinging movement, being actuated lengthwise by said action-slide to operate said locking means to release said magazine.

13. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame,: a cartridge magazine having a slot in its rear wall. means for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, and means for automatically moving said locking means to release said magazine when the same has become empty, said moving means comprising a magazine follower having a rearward projection and a cam surface on a wall of the magazine, whereby the follower, in nearing its uppermost position, is moved rearward causing said rearward projection to extend through said slot in position to actuate another element of said moving means. i

14. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a frame, a cartridge magazine having a slot in a wall thereof, means for releasably locking said magazine in said frame, and means for automatically moving said locking means to release said magazine when the same has become empty, said movmg means comprising a magazine follower havm a projection thereon adapted to ea:-

tend t rough said slot and means for camming said follower, in nearing its upermost position, toward the Wall of the magazine having said slot therein and thereby causing said projection to extend through said slot JOHN MtBROWNING.

In the presence of: Smaox,

T. S. BROWNING. 

